Stir on May 29 to stop sand quarrying in Gundaru river bed

Published: Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 15:36 [IST]

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Chennai, May 27 (UNI) Accusing the ruling DMK men of indulging in illegal sand quarrying, Opposition AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today announced an agitation to stop sand quarrying in Gundaru river bed in Virudhachalam district of Tamil Nadu.

In a statement here, she said the party would organise an agitation in front of Thiruchuzhi Taluk office in Virudhunagar district on May 29, to immediately stop sand quarrying at the river bed, which posed threat to more than 30,000 people living in the areas.

Despite protest from the local villagers, illegal sand quarrying was going on unabated with the ''blessings'' of local DMK men, she added.

She said the Gundaru river caters to the drinking water needs of more than 30,000 people living in about 20 villages in Thiruchuzhi taluk. The river water was also being utilised for cultivation in about 5,000 acres of land in these villages, she said.

The illegal sand quarrying, flouting all government rules, posed a grave threat to the local people, she said adding the ground water level was fast depleting and agriculture was severely hit due to quarrying of sand.

The local villagers have complained about the illegal sand quarrying, but the government turned a deaf ear, she said and condemned the DMK government for its 'anti-people' attitude.

She accused the ruling DMK men of indulging in illegal sand quarrying throughout the state as the government's threat to invoke Goondas Act against those who indulge in illegal sand quarrying still remained in paper.